The next day.
There wasn't a single servant in the Lindsey Family's luxurious mansion. Arthur Lindsey woke up half an hour earlier than usual, showered and groomed, and then busied himself in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
If others saw this, they'd be picking their jaws up from the floor. The heartthrob Arthur Lindsey could actually cook, could he be more perfect?!
A little after seven, Ella Lacey stumbled downstairs still half asleep and made her way to the dining room. Seeing the steaming hot milk, golden toast and sandwiches, beautifully done cake with a whiff of butter, and a plate full of colorful fruit salad on the table, she felt a warm sense of happiness.
Especially striking was Arthur, sitting with the morning light behind him in a sharp black suit, his elegant and captivating posture almost made her heart burst.
Even if she didn't eat breakfast, just looking at him would satisfy her, right?
"You made all this?!" Ella Lacey unabashedly sat across Arthur, flattering him, "Arthur, you're so great, a thousand likes!"
At home, Ella liked to call him Arthur, because ever since she entered the Lindsey Family, it seemed like Arthur was the boss, having the final say in everything.
So, she made full use of her flattery skills, buttering him up by calling him Arthur. Even her dad and mom were affected sometimes, addressing Arthur as such when they needed a favor from him.
"Eat quickly, you need to make it to school after." Arthur's tone was harsh, like that of a strict parent.
"Okay!" Ella giggled as she dreamed over Arthur, shoving a sandwich in her mouth and savouring the taste, definitely a delightful morning!
It was just the two of them in the gargantuan mansion, the start of a world meant for only them, awesome!
Arthur quickly finished his breakfast, strode out of the dining room and curtly said without looking back, "After eating, you should take the bus to school."
Ella, in the midst of enjoying a small piece of buttered cake, quickly grabbed her backpack and caught up with Arthur's pace, "Arthur, don't you have to drive to work? You can drop me off along your way."
Seeing that Arthur had no reaction, Ella followed him to the garage, nagging non-stop, "Are you sure you can trust a young girl in full bloom like me to take the public bus alone? Aren't you afraid that I…"
"You know, Uncle Liu used to drive me to and from school, now that they're on leave…Arthur, if I'm late because of the bus, the teachers would scold me…" Ella continued to appeal emotionally.
Arthur kept a stern face, opened his own sky blue Maybach luxury car, and stuffed Ella into it, "Shut up! I'll take you to school!"
As the car drove away from the mansion, the grand entrance door slowly closed automatically and securely locked.
On the way, Ella sat in the passenger seat, occasionally stealing glances at Arthur's handsome side face, a profile sculpted meticulously by God. Each look made her fall for him again.
The car was moving swiftly and they were not far from the school, Ella pouted and tentatively asked, "Arthur, can I speak now?"
Ignoring her, Arthur didn't show a hint of emotion, his expression as cold as an icy glacier.
"So… I heard that you have a girlfriend now?"
Ella couldn't hold it in any longer, this was the gossip that her mom had spilled before leaving for Australia. The news had been eating at her all night.
She continued with her questions, "And they said that she even visited your secret castle?"
The secret castle was a personal ancient castle that Arthur spent five years building. It was extremely secretive, no one knew where it was, even her dad and mom haven't been there which made it even more desirable.
And as rumor had it, the woman who had the chance to enter the castle could possibly be Arthur's lover!
At this moment, the car screeched to a halt at the entrance of the city's high school, Arthur suddenly seethed in fury, "Shut up! It's not your business!"
Oh dear, Arthur seemed to have a short fuse…
Ella went pale with fear and sat motionless in the passenger seat, her mouth obediently sealed shut.
The two people sat in silence in the car, the atmosphere so solemn it seemed to freeze.
Just when the school bell was about to ring, Arthur finally relaxed a bit. His slender fingers gently tapping the black wheel, he faintly opened his lips, "Do you want to go to the castle?"
"Of course, I do!" Ella responded quickly, livened up all of a sudden, excitedly staring at him, but alas, he still wore the icy expression.
"Wish— to go, and you're in?" Arthur spoke with profound meanings, "There's a condition."
"Arthur, what's the condition?" Ella had a bad hunch, she thought Arthur might give her a tough task again.
"Very simple." Arthur's rosy thin lips curled up slightly, as he commanded, "In the first prelim exam, if you come first in your class, I'll take you to the castle."
"…" Ella blanked out a bit. The first prelim before the college entrance exam had taken place last Wednesday…
Recalling the circumstances back then, Ella was not very confident, "The result will be out today, as for the class rank…Let's wait and see..."